Dreamcatcher
by Eternally Ebony
Summary: After an accident invoving Gir and waffles, Zim is able to see the future in his dreams... and that's the least of his problems. Irkens are mysteriously found mangled on the Massive, and a certain big-headed stowaway doesn't help things at all... ZADR
1. Of Waffles and Nightmares

**Disclaimer: IZ does not belong to me.**

"Screwdriver,"

The ever faithful (and stupid) SIR unit complied, handing the green alien he calls master, otherwise known as Zim, the requested tool. Normally, Zim would use an Irken tool for something so delicate, but Gir had managed to break all of them. How, nobody may ever know. And Zim, as impatient as he is, would rather buy an Earthen tool than wait for a new Irken one. The screwdriver seemed to be a good replacement for one of the more critical pieces of his Irken tool set.

"NOW!" Zim announced dramatically to Gir, the SIR unit. "Behold, GIR! The downfall of humanity!" He proudly displayed his machine to the SIR unit, who observed it with it's (his?) wide, cyan eyes. A wide smile spread across his features as he looked down upon it.

"IT LOOKS LIKE A COOKIE!" was the idiotic and typical response of Gir. Zim scowled at him, "I WANNA EAT IT!" it (he?) leapt forward after the declaration, intent on consuming the device. Only to fall flat on his face.

Zim stared down, the scowl still on his face as he lectured, "No, Gir, it's not a cookie. And you CAN'T eat it," Gir frowned, "THIS is a Mentality Altering Device, or M.A.D. It will take over the thoughts of EVERY human on this pathetic planet, and force them to do MY bidding!" an evil laugh echoed throughout the base. Gir, unable to resist, also joined in his master's insane cackling.

When they calmed down, Zim turned back to the M.A.D, "NOW to place the metal covering... where's the plating?" He frowned as he remembered that he never grabbed it in the first place. But he didn't really want to leave to get it... Gir might break (or eat) the M.A.D while he was gone. "I can't believe I'm about to say this..." Zim mumbled to himself, then, in his normal tone, commanded Gir to retrieve the metal plating.

The SIR unit saluted, and then took off. Zim sat down, hoping to clear his thoughts about the M.A.D. Which only served to make him think about it more. Which only made him want to finish it more. Which made the naturally impatient alien being even more impatient...

"GIR! WHERE ARE YOU, ALREADY?"

The SIR unit flew back in, carrying a bundle in his arms. Wasting no time, Zim took it himself, and began attaching it to the machine, careful to leave no spaces. When he finished, however, he noticed his hands were covered in something sticky...

"GIR!"

The little robot cackled insanely, before responding, "Ye~s?"

Zim was not amused, "WHY are my hands sticky?"

A large grin spread across Gir's face, "That's cause there was SYRUP on the waffles!"

"WAFFLES?" Zim's unamused, annoyed expression turned to one of horror.

Gir nodded, "Yea, I thought it looked nicer-er," Though he knew the screw-up was merely Gir's innocent intentions, Zim was seething with rage. Didn't he think anything through? Apparently not.

But Zim didn't have time to be mad. The electrical current flowing through the syrup could cause the machine to short-circuit, which could blow up half the city! Anxiety, fear, and rage, three of the most irrational emotions known to man (or Irken) kind, flowed through him as he grabbed at the machine, trying to peel the waffles off of the machine.

_**How could I have been so STUPID?**_ Zim thought, angry with himself for actually trusting Gir's judgment. He should have known Gir would do something like this. At the very least, he probably should have checked out the plating Gir had chosen.

Zim wasn't known for thinking things through, which is probably why he was surprised when the current of electricity drained out of the syrup and into his system. A pained shriek followed, the Irken doubled over, falling onto the floor. The last thing he heard was Gir shouting something unintelligible, though it did sound an awful lot like his name...

* * *

_Zim opened his eyes, blinking. He wasn't on his Earth base anymore. No, he recognized the ship he was on; any Irken would. The Massive. Only thing was, this section was off-line. Strange, as the sections only go off-line once every fourteen years for scheduled maintenance. What could be so horrible that they have to shut it down early?_

_Zim turned around to the sound of running feet. An Irken guard was running through the area. No, this definitely wasn't scheduled maintenance. The Irken seemed more like he was hunting something... and doing so very cowardly. He kept looking around, calling out for, 'The Shadow-Thingy'. Zim sneered, and followed him. There was nothing better to do... and the instinct to follow that guard was nagging him so._

_A sudden shadow eclipsed both Zim and the guard. They turned around to find a strange figure, completely shadowed to Zim, hovering ominously over them. The Irken guard let out a scream, but Zim remained frozen._

"_..." The creature remained silent, but something about it put Zim on edge. He watched, closely, as it snaked around the Irken guard, who looked on the point of screaming again. Then, suddenly, it attacked. Unexpectedly, the creature opened it's mouth and rushed at high speeds towards the guard. Ivory fangs glistened as it swept the guard up. And poor Zim watched as it mangled, devoured, and twisted the guard, until he was nothing more than a pile of pulp. Then, as if this couldn't get much worse, it began to lap up the liquids coming from the pile, much like a cat would lap up water. It disgusted and intrigued Zim at the same time. Was this why the off-line section wasn't functional? This creature ate Irkens; no, that's not accurate. It liquified them, and drank whatever was left. The creature then turned towards Zim, showing off it's large, blood-drenched fangs..._

* * *

"AAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Zim woke up with the memory of his dream fresh on his mind. Gir hugged his master, crying about how he was afraid he, 'would never see yas again!'. Zim, almost afraid to, glanced back at the lab table where the M.A.D was. And it was toast. Looking down, he noticed his clothes were in the same state. But, at least the town wasn't blown up. That's a slight consolation. Or at least, that's what Zim told himself as he pushed Gir off, and threw the toasted machine in the garbage can. He could work on a new one after school, anyways.

The dream left a bad taste in his mouth. He hadn't ever dreamed before, so why start now? Sure, Irkens slept, but only once in a while. It didn't mean anything, did it? Oh well, he'd ponder on that later. Maybe get his PAK checked out. But now, he had to prepare for skool. And another eight hours being stared at by the Dib.

Zim groaned. Today was NOT going as planned...

**NOTE: I tried to keep Zim and Gir in character this chapter, but there will be points where both are OOC, along with Dib and maybe Gaz.**


	2. Skool Dayz

**Disclaimer: IZ does not belong to me.**

"Doom, doom, doom, doom, doom, doom..."

Zim yawned, fighting the instinct to fall asleep right there and then. Whether from the teacher's oh so exciting lecture on- what else?- doom, or the accident he had suffered this morning, he couldn't be sure, but the Irken would have fallen asleep then and there had it not been for one important factor.

The Dib was sitting on the other side of the room.

Zim couldn't allow himself to nod off while his sworn enemy was so close! Though occasionally, Zim had seen his nemesis fall asleep in class, he hadn't thought to act on it. Now, he was paranoid that Dib would not be so merciful as to let him sleep. Every now and again he would glare at the self-proclaimed paranormal investigator, and wonder whether or not he was paying attention. Occasionally Dib would glare at him, and Zim would quickly turn his head away. He didn't think the human saw him, because after a few moments, he always turned back to the lesson.

Hoping to distract himself, Zim doodled absentmindedly on the piece of paper in front of him. A picture formed, a simple doodle of an Irken, which quickly transformed into the strangled Irken guard from his nightmare. Once Zim had realized this, he suppressed a scream and promptly wadded up and swallowed the paper. The haunting image still wouldn't leave his alone, appearing every time he closed his eyes. Then, he rested his head on the desk. A quick glance around revealed most of his classmates were asleep. Even the Dib had begun to nod off.

Maybe a little shut-eye wouldn't hurt...

* * *

_Zim frowned. Now, instead of the Massive, he was standing atop the awning at the front side of the skool. A cackle, cruel but not evil, brought his attention to none other than Dib, who sat on the front side of the awning, holding a bucket that was apparently too heavy for his human frame to maintain for long. A wicked smirk was upon his face as he uttered to himself,_

"_Right there... that's the perfect spot,"_

_Dib rested the bucket in front of where he was standing, a small smile full of cruel satisfaction mounting his face. He glanced over the edge, just as the skool bell rang. Children came out of the skool building every which way, some even going so far as to jump out windows. Then Zim noticed someone in peculiar leave the skool._

_Himself._

_Dib grinned manically, then used his remaining strength to push the heavy bucket over the edge of the awning. The mathematical precision of the placement caused it to come down right over the other Zim, showering him in a large amount of water. The other Zim let out a shriek of pain and terror, falling to his knees after the pain overwhelmed his leg muscles. Zim watched as Dib jumped down, landing in front of Zim's counterpart with that same wicked smirk._

"_Well, look who's suffering now, alien scum," Then his voice became a mock coo, "Aw, does it hurt? Do you want Dibby to kiss it better?" Then he laughed wickedly, while the other Zim glared at him, muttering softly under his breath. Zim was only able to make out a few words._

"_You... will... pay for this..." The other Zim ran off, presumably to hide until Gir could come pick him up. Zim, meanwhile, had jumped off the awning and landed in front of Dib, who chuckled at the other Zim's misery. A passing teacher came up to them. Zim, knowing he was not in disguise, almost hid behind Dib, then realized he couldn't be seen in these dreams, so stayed put. The teacher gave a glance at the area, then at Dib, then stated, boredom evident in his tone:_

"_You'll have to clean this up,"_

"_Ah, man," Dib moaned, then proceeded to fall to his knees and clean the wet sidewalk. Zim might have laughed, but whether or not he would have was never known, for at that moment a bell sliced through the dream._

* * *

A loud ringing woke the sleeping alien, as well as the few classmates that were still asleep. A quick glance over at Dib revealed that the human was staring at him. He scowled, cursing himself for giving in to his exhaustion. Never let your enemy see you in weakness! That was lesson well known by young smeets!

Zim scowled at his enemy on the way to lunch, but stopped and screeched when he stepped in a puddle of water. He hadn't noticed one of the kids spill water on the way to lunch, and the result was his soaked (and burning) foot; the water had managed to seep through the footwear's fabric.

The horrible grin on the Dib's face, along with the memory of his latest dream, told Zim something bad was gonna happen soon.

* * *

The end of the day skool bell rang. Zim, oddly, hadn't felt tired since he'd fallen asleep in class. In fact, much to his dismay, he was perfectly conscious for Ms. Bitters after lunch lectures on doom and how they'll all fail at life. Not only was this depressing, it made him think about both his dreams, even drawing (and eating) both scenes twice, mostly out of boredom. He couldn't even torture Dib, who had been excused from class several minutes early (or maybe it was a half hour; the lecture might have distorted reality a bit for him).

Zim, unlike quite a few of his peers, took the time to walk out the front door. A combined sense of deja vu and paranoia overwhelmed him almost immediately. The scene was almost, if not completely, like the nightmare he'd had earlier. Everything was the same; even the students who were walking out of the skool.

A student wearing something surprising for the warm weather and clear skies walked past. Zim grabbed his arm and pulled him aside, "YOU! I, uh, need to borrow your raincoat!"

The student, without hesitation, handed it to him, "Keep it! I've been trying to get rid of that stupid coat all week, but my mom said I should wear it to make my grandmother happy," And he walked away, uncaring as to what could become of his water-proof jacket. Now feeling unwarranted in his paranoia, Zim slipped it on and began the walk home.

_**It's just a dream, not like it's real**_, the Irken thought. All his thoughts vanished when he felt something drop on his head, which was protected by the raincoat's hood. It wasn't heavy; it came down in a great pressure, then just as quickly disappeared. A quick survey of the sidewalk revealed it was wet.

Zim gaped, barely registering Dib jumping down as well, also shocked, "Y-you're wearing a raincoat?" With wide eyes and a half-open mouth, Dib babbled on, "B-but you never wear Earth clothes! Why would you start today? Did you see this coming or something? Did I make it obvious?"

"Can you stop talking for more than a minute of Earth time, worm-baby?" Dib gaped, but shut up, "Good. Now, none of this is any of your business, and-" Remembering something else, Zim jumped into a nearby bush. Dib just stood there, confused, until a teacher came up, looked around, unamused, at the mess, and said:

"You'll have to clean this up."

Dib whined, but did as he was told. Zim snickered from his position in the bush, then stepped up to the human, informing him that he will be going home _dry_. Dib could only shoot him a dirty look, but Zim didn't see it; he was too busy laughing at the human's misery.

**This chapter really wasn't worth much, was it? But, Zim got a raincoat!**


	3. My Tallest!

**Disclaimer: IZ does not belong to me.**

"_Come along, creature,"_

_Two Irken guards escorted a prisoner down the hallway of the Massive's jailing sector. While one was careful to keep the prisoner under control, the other carried a powerful weapon, designed to defeat creatures with tough hide._

_Zim watched from his position on the sidelines. He'd had three visions, and was beginning to understand how they work. He couldn't talk during them, he couldn't be seen by anyone in his vision, and when the vision ends, he wakes up in the real world: no exceptions there. And if something disturbed him in the real world, it would end the vision prematurely. _

_His eyes followed the guards, and drifted to the shadow dangling from the ceiling. A feeling of deja vu came over him._

_It was the prisoner who spotted the shadow first. Looking up, he asked, "What the heck is that thing?", causing the guards attention to drift to the ceiling. Upon being spotted, the shadow hissed, showing off it's menacing fangs, and attacked mercilessly. Once again, Zim was forced to watch his countrymen be mangled and slaughtered, ending with their life juices being sucked out. The prisoner whimpered as the creature snaked over to him. Beady red eyes looked him over, as though judging him, before it cried out, a loud, blood-curling sound that made Zim shake. In one swift movement, it cut deeply into the skin of the prisoner, who cried out in surprise. His death had been fast and painless compared to the fates of the guards transporting it._

_The creature slithered off, leaving Zim. The Invader then felt the sensation of being pulled. He could learn no more from this vision, and was being pulled back into reality. Instead of fighting it, though, he closed his eyes and embraced the sensation..._

* * *

"Uh? AHH!" Zim cried out as he fell off the couch onto the floor. Looking up at the familiar SIR unit, he took a quick glance at the base, then addressed Gir, "I'm asleep for... wait, how long was I out?"

Gir looked at his nonexistent wristwatch, then back at his master, "Five minutes."

"I'm asleep for FIVE minutes and you manage to turn the place into a pigsty?" Sure enough, the room was covered in waffle mixture (and from that day forward, Zim hated waffles), with piggies and banana peels littering the floor. A few broken machines (no doubt from Zim's failed invention pile) were in pieces around the base. Only adding to the mess was the fact that all of Zim's pictures were either crooked or out of place. A frown found it's way to the invader's face as he picked up one of those pictures and set it up right. It was, of course a picture of every invader's leader: The tallest. The two were wearing sunglasses and grinning a goofy grin at the camera. Zim briefly wondered if they were aware such a silly picture of them existed, before realizing something.

_**I should tell them what happened. Or at least, find out how this happened, anyway.**_

"COMPUTER! take me to the lab. GIR! ...clean up this mess," With a 'Yes Sir!' from Gir and a 'Whatever,' from the computer, Zim headed to his underground laboratory, to the video phone. Pressing the buttons didn't require any additional thought. He could do it in his sleep. Moreover, he HAD done it in his sleep, once before. That left Zim exhausted, and the Tallest very confused. That story, however, is unimportant. So, back to Zim's phone call.

Two familiar figures appeared on the monitor, enjoying their daily doughnuts. The tallest Red and tallest Purple was what they were called by their people. And both looked annoyed when they noticed who was on their screen.

"Oh, Zim... what an unpleasant surprise," Purple commented after swallowing his doughnut. Zim either missed the insult or ignored it.

"I'm afraid to say, my tallest, that my plans are put on hold for now... I'm taking a medical break," Both Tallest looked up at the word 'medical'. Only on very rare occasions did an Irken take a medical break, after all.

Red, not concerned about Zim, but about the prospect of a possible Irken illness, asked, "And what would you be taking this 'leave of absence' for?". A guard came in at that moment, beckoning one of his leaders, and Purple went to see what he wanted.

"Electrocution, Sir," a look of relief washed over Red's face and Zim, once again, either missed or ignored it, "I was working on my latest project, when my own ignorance and the _stupidity_ of that SIR unit... by the way, where are the replacement parts I sent for?"

"Never mind that," Red commented offhandedly, "Continue."

Zim reported the events of the incident, and was about to tell about the strange dreams when a frustrated cry interrupted him.

Purple came back in, and Zim could see the Irken guard in the hallway quivering in fear before the door closed. A few proper words to describe the Irken leader's expression would be haggard, enraged, and frustrated. Red stood up, going to his partner in leadership.

"What happened?"

Purple sneered, "That- that _thing_ has killed the guard we sent after it!" then he turned to Zim, who was processing the information being supplied, "Listen, Zim, we don't have time for-"

Zim then did the unspeakable; he interrupted one of the tallest, "Was it a snake-like monster? With sharp, gleaming fangs and a shadowy appearance?"

For a moment, Purple was outraged, "How _DARE _you-" then, he realized what Zim said, "Wait, how did you know that?"

"Because, I've SEEN it!" Upon the tallest expressions, surprised and questioning, he added, "Not in reality, in my dreams. If you'd have given me a chance to finish my tale, I would've told you the aftermath of the electrocution I suffered,"

As Red's expression was curious, Purple looked perplexed, "You were electrocuted?"

If this was anyone else, Zim would have yelled in their face, screaming his frustration. But since this was the tallest, he held it in, "Yes, my tallest. Earlier this morning. And since then, I've had three strange dreams..." And Zim described each of his dreams, and the outcome of the second one.

His leaders' reaction? Laughter.

"So-so let me get this straight," Red managed to say in between his laughter, "Y-you were electrocuted this morning, and now you think can see the future in your sleep? BWAHAHAHAHA!"

Zim frowned. It wasn't a good idea to talk back to his leaders, so instead he'd have to prove it!

"When the body was found, was it mangled? Was it stretched out and suffocated, with a bite mark on the neck? Were all the life-juices drained from the guard, with his electric-spear 2009 on the left of his body, about... three feet from the stains of life-juice on the ground?" Zim didn't have the best memory, but that kind of image was hard to get out of your head.

It only took the Tallests' dumbstruck expressions for Zim to acknowledge his victory.

* * *

Arrangements were made. Zim's 'mission' was put on hold until the situation on the Massive was rectified. He would be sent to the Massive via teleportation pod two hours after the transmission ended to help them defeat this creature and save the lives of it's future victims. Afterwords, Zim would be allowed to choose his own fate- of course, he'd come back to Earth to complete his mission, but that's only _if_ he succeeds. If he doesn't... well, the Irkens would lose the Massive, and possibly their empire.

Zim didn't dwell on that thought.

After making arrangements with the skool (they believed Zim was going on vacation for the next three weeks), and packing his necessary equipment and other stuff, Zim prepared the pods for the transportation. Gir went first.

"See ya at the carnival, Mastah!" Gir shouted as he was teleported to the Massive, of course, during the mandatory ten second delay. Without it, there was a slight danger to teleportation. Zim shook his head. He'd need to get Gir fixed while they were there, too.

Next was Zim's turn. But before he could step into the pod, a weight he'd recognize anywhere tackled him to the inside of the opaque pod. Dib held him there, not noticing they were sealed in, and began questioning him.

"Why aren't you gonna be in skool, Zim? I overheard your call to them, so where are you going to be for the next three weeks?" Zim was just about to ask how on Earth he hacked into the superior Irken phone line when he heard the countdown. Eight seconds left.

"I'm going to the Massive... and apparently, your coming, too," At Dib's bewildered expression, he explained, "There's no way out of this teleportation pod once it's sealed. You're stuck with me," A cruel smirk edged onto Zim's face. Oh, how he loved torturing the Dib-Monkey.

Dib didn't seem all that amused, "What'll happen once we get there?" In fact, he seemed kinda scared.

After a second, Zim replied, "Well, there's a 44% chance that I'll be greeted by the Tallest, and taken to my own private quarters, where I'll remain for the remainder of my time there, while you're taken prisoner, and thrown into a cell until_ I_ say to let you out,"

That wasn't so bad a fate, but Zim had purposely left a cliffhanger for the Paranormal Investigator, who took the bait, "And the other 56%?"

A wide, cruel smirk formed on Zim's face, "Oh, we'll be forever combined in one twisted, mutant Human-Irken hybrid, and end up being killed by the guards left on the Massive."

A scream filled the now empty base as Zim and Dib were teleported out of the pod, and off the planet...

**Next chapter up sooner than this one, I promise... probably.**


	4. My Pet DibWorm

**Disclaimer: IZ does not belong to me.**

"AAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"

"Dib-Thing... you may stop screaming now."

Dib opened his eyes slowly, taking a look around. Zim was amused to see that the self-proclaimed paranormal investigator was currently in awe at his surroundings. Ah, yes, the Massive. Best ship in the entire Irken fleet. Now, where were we?

Oh right, Dib's amazement at the Massive.

Well, in Dib's defense, it was quite a sight to behold. The first time Zim had seen the Massive in person, he had to examine, touch, and question everything. The Irken smirked, and nearly snickered, when he remembered the headache he'd given the guards. Ah, good times. Was he forgetting something?

"Zim, welcome to- what is _**that**_ thing?"

Oh yeah, the whole tallest and Dib thing. Turning around, he took a quick glance at the Dib. The poor boy's eyes were so wide, one would assume they were going to pop out of there sockets. He looked almost scared. No, scratch that; he was downright terrified. What was going through that large head of his?

"Never mind, probably some sort of Earth rodent. Throw it in an incinerator or something," Dib's eyes, impossibly, became even wider as he backed away. Several guards attempted to grab him, but he jumped out of their way, leading up to a rather amusing chase around the room (which was larger than Zim gave it credit for), which ended in Dib's capture. Zim frowned.

"Now, throw that thing in the incinerator..."

"Wait, my Tallest!" Zim interrupted. The guards gasped, but Purple, who was more or less expecting it, told him to speak. Zim bit his lip, unsure of why he interfered, then spoke, only putting half of his conscious thought into his words.

"That thing is... my pet! I've kept him for the last few months or so... walking him, feeding him, bathing him in cleansing paste... he's like Gir, only smarter. By the way, where is Gir?" Zim looked around, not noticing before that the SIR unit was absent. Red cut in, telling him Gir had been shut off (apparently he was causing all sorts of problems) and put in Zim's room.

Red ordered one guard to escort Zim and Dib to their room, and another one to fetch bedding and such items for Dib. As the group, sans one tallest, left for their respective rooms, Purple began whining.

"So I can't incinerate it?"

* * *

"Uh... thanks," Dib muttered as he laid on the blankets brought for him. Zim waved off the awkward apology.

"I really didn't have a choice, Dib-Stink... imagine the reaction of people if you disappeared. Surely they would blame me," Zim took a glance at the corner of his eye. Dib was avoiding his gaze, staring instead at the floor, "Besides... Earth would be boring without you. Who else would challenge my eventual rule?" Zim snorted, "Certainly not your idiotic kinsmen."

Dib's head shot up, his eyes meeting Zim's, "Ya know, that's the closest anyone's ever gotten to saying they care about me... ironic that your the one to say it," Zim raised one non-existent eyebrow, "Even if it did insult humanity in the process. So, why are we here?"

Finally, something to talk about that _wasn't_ awkward, "A strange monster has been attacking Irkens on this ship. I'm to help hunt it down," Zim smiled proudly, happy to be apart of such a noble mission. Dib raised an eyebrow at the Irken.

"Why would they call you all the way from Earth just to help defeat a monster?" Dib wondered aloud. The alien moved to sit on the floor near where Dib was set up. He couldn't trust a human with the secret of his dreams... could he? And it _was_ Dib...

No, best play it safe, "They need my superior fighting tactics, of course. Silly human, does your army not call upon reserves in times of emergency?"

"Well, yeah but-" Zim interrupted Dib, who clearly had no argument.

"This is kinda the same. Now do something useful, like turn Gir on," Zim went to finish unpacking, while Dib activated the robot on the nearby table. Upon reactivating, Gir cried out, "HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" then saw Dib, screamed, and flung himself onto Zim's head.

"IT'S THE BAD GUY, MASTAH! HE'S **_BAD!_**" Zim growled, yelling at Gir to get off while prying the him off of his head. Dib laughed at the sight of Zim trying to get Gir off his head. Eventually, Zim did manage to peel Gir off of himself, and flung it (him?) onto the bed. Gir squealed in childlike joy as he bounced on the bed. Zim sighed.

"Dib-Worm, remind me to get some replacement parts for Gir while we're here, okay?"

* * *

"Zim? Why did you bring your pet?"

Red glared at Dib, who shrunk back under the Tallest Irken's gaze. Purple was still upset over not being able to throw Dib in the furnace. Zim sighed, trying to come up with a reason that did not reveal his little lie. Finally, he decided on the truth.

"Well, I can't exactly trust him alone. He's so hard to train," Then Zim proceeded to pet Dib, making sure the pressure would cause a little pain. As predicted, Dib winced, causing Zim to smile.

The tallest gave in, "Whatever. Now, back to this 'monster' business. While you two were settling in, I was informed-"

"That two of your guards and a prisoner were found dead?" The tallest glared at him for interrupting -again- but let it slide. Instead, they continued to brief Zim and Dib on the little they knew. How long they've had this problem, how many Irkens it had taken, nothing of particular interest, really.

Zim found himself lost, unable to listen to the useless facts the tallest were spewing at him. Dib was paying close attention, even taking notes on what he considered important. Silly human. Zim laid his head down on the table. The voices of the tallest echoed in his head as everything went black.

* * *

"_AAAAAHHHHHHHHH!"_

_Zim stared as the hull of the Massive came down in pieces around him. Irken guards, maintenance personal, and others were running around wildly. The creature stood atop a piece of fallen metal. Everywhere there was chaos and turmoil. Zim didn't know what to make of it._

"_Make haste, Dib!" the familiar voice -his own- caught Zim's attention, and he turned towards the sound. Himself and Dib were heading towards the escape pods, not far behind the tallest. He also noticed Dib was straggling along, barely keeping up, "Come on!"_

"_I'm trying!" Dib rebutted, making a desperate attempt to keep up pace. The increased speed wasn't doing him any good; he was naturally uncoordinated and unbalanced. So when a piece of metal came into their path, it was not particularly surprising that Dib tripped over it._

_But that didn't mean that didn't have consequences. _

_A scream, as the creature leapt from the large piece of fallen metal, and onto the floor. At an impossible speed, it came up to Dib, glaring at him with it's mouth wide open, showing off it's glistening ivory fangs. The other Zim ran over to help, screaming no._

_The creature pounced..._

* * *

"ZIM!"

The Irken awoke, not particularly pleased about the rude awakening, but saw the tallest staring at him, with eyes not annoyed, but instead demanding. They wanted to know what he saw. Zim picked himself up.

"Dib, go back to our room. NOW," Dib would have snapped back, but instead the glare he met from Zim, combined with the realization and shock that Zim didn't attach any weird names to his, told him to follow orders for once and go back their room. Once he was gone, the tallest, both exasperated with curiosity, began questioning him.

"What did you see?"

"Who's next?"

Zim called them down and informed them of the falling apart of the Massive, "But it felt different from my other dreams... like, it was distant. I don't think this will happen immediately. Maybe in a few weeks, but not immediately, like my other visions," Purple relaxed.

"Good, then there's still time. Go join your... _interesting_ pet, and we'll get back to you when we need you, okay?" Zim nodded, and left.

_**What happened next?**_ Zim wondered, pondering his latest vision. Would Dib have died? What did the creature do? Why did his counterpart seem so different from himself?

Well, it didn't matter now. Zim headed back to his room and prayed Gir hadn't destroyed everything. Maybe reactivating him wasn't the smartest idea.

**Okay... that didn't take to long, did it?**


	5. Search Party

**Disclaimer: IZ does not belong to me.**

"DIB-WORM!"

When Zim had arrived back in his room, he was unpleasantly surprised to find none other than Dib going through his stuff. Dib stared at him with wide, fearful eyes, much like a child who had gotten caught raiding the cookie jar. Clenching his fists and muttering under his breath in Irken (in case Dib heard) to keep from beating Dib's head in, the Irken, as coolly as he could, informed Dib that he is not to touch his stuff. OR ELSE. Dib got the message.

"So, why was I kicked out of the meeting, by the way?" Dib asked a moment later. "I mean, it's not like I was bothering anyone or anything, right?"

"Dib-Human, your face bothers people," Zim informed his 'pet' sarcastically. "But we had to discuss stuff that shouldn't be heard by worms, such as yourself."

"Whatever. So, what are you gonna do about this monster, then?" Dib stared at the Irken, who stared back. The two glared at each other for some time before Gir interrupted with a demand for waffles. Zim couldn't help but cringe at that word. Those horrible waffles!

"Oh, we're sending a search party out tomorrow. And no, you're not invited." Dib shrugged. He didn't really seem to mind not going on a potentially life-threatening mission. A part of Zim was relieved that his dream of Dib being attacked wouldn't be coming true anytime soon. Another part of him insisted on tying Dib up here, to make sure he didn't follow. Well, that, and it would help with the whole 'pet' thing. Zim snickered at the mental image of Dib on a leash.

Dib scowled, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing, Dib-Stink. Absolutely nothing..."

* * *

The search party was relatively small; excluding Zim, there were only five Irkens in it. Compared to the amount of guards on the Massive... that's not much. But Zim had seen what this creature could do. They couldn't have a large party; it would simply flee the moment it saw them. Too small a group, and the creature would slaughter them as it had their predecessors. Six was a perfect number; not too big, not too small. The fact that Gir was watching Dib (well, more like the other way around, but still!) made him content with their safety. So long as they didn't leave the room...

They wouldn't, though. Zim had told the human that, should he try to leave the room, he'd be eaten by the creature... though it didn't seem to have a taste for non-Irkens, Dib didn't need to know that.

They had begun their investigation by searching through the hallways near the corridors of the Irken guards, the maintenance crew. Nothing there, much to the relief of many Irkens.

Then, they came to the scene of the attacks, though Zim was certain they wouldn't find anything there. His suspicions proved correct, as they found nothing at the sight of the previous attacks.

The next location they checked out was the storage unit, which proved to be a negative as well. Though they did find a hole in the wall near the snack compartment...

"Alright, take five," Zim commanded his team, after three hours of searching for the shadow creature. Not a successful three hours, Zim might add. As a matter of fact, he would say they were a three hours wasted. Well, you really can't blame him for his frustration. Zim isn't exactly known for his patience...

Zim looked over his crew. A few had gone to get themselves snacks, while the others were simply lounging here. They did look exhausted...

_**But it's better than being dead, right?**_ Zim thought, biting his lip, **_I mean, remember your last vision... _**

True, they were worn down, but Zim would rather see them exhausted to the point of collapsing then dead.

Sighing, Zim used one of his hands to prop himself up against the wall, while using the other to rub his temples, as if soothing a headache. Zim let his eyes shut...

_A flash. A member of the exploration team looked up, trying to scream when something attacked him. The shadow. His lips opened for a scream that would never come..._

Zim's eyes snapped open. Looking around, he found that his team had returned from their trip to get snacks. Zim quickly did a head check, frowning when he realized one was missing. When he informed the others, they reacted immediately, all running down towards the snack room, rushing to locate their missing team member.

They found him by accident.

The team had been running up the hallway when one of them tripped over the corpse; the scream he gave was loud enough to wake the dead! One of the others examined the corpse.

"He's dead, sir."

"No duh," Zim responded. "We'll take him to the infirmary. Afterwords, I want everyone to return to their quarters, and not come out until the beast is caught, or if it's an emergency. If it's an emergency, take at least two others with you. No one is to roam alone."

The others nodded, because these were reasonable measures, and picked up the corpse. Zim, meanwhile, cursed himself. How could he have been so careless? One of the men **_died_** under his watch and care. And he only became aware of it because of his stupid visions!

"Zim..." said Irken looked to the teammate who had called him, "It wasn't your fault... he's always been careless."

"Maybe... But he was my responsibility..."

* * *

"Ya know, you did better than the others..."

"Yeah. The last team didn't come back at all..."

That was the Tallest way of comforting him. He'd reported the progress (or lack of) of the mission, as well as the death of one of his team members. Obviously, his guilt was killing him. Someone died, and it was because he wasn't paying attention. If Zim was anything, it was egotistical, so the shock of having someone killed under his command was quite a blow, indeed.

"I'm... going back to my room," Zim told them. Allowing his mind to roam, he briefly wondered why he didn't fall asleep when he had that last vision.

_**Maybe because it was weaker than the other ones...**_

Zim made the trip back to his room, nothing interesting happening along the way. When he opened the door, the two residents inside turned to him. Surprisingly, it was Gir who realized something was amiss with Zim.

"What happened, Mastah?" the SIR unit asked. Dib simply stared at the Irken from his spot on the floor, where the two had been playing cards. Zim sighed, not wanting to discuss what had happened earlier.

"Nothing, Gir," Zim finally answered. Gir blinked, but turned back to the game, asking Dib if he had any fours. At least he knew when to leave Zim alone, when it really mattered. Dib, however, was not so considerate to the Irken's privacy.

Sitting next to Zim on the bed, Dib put his hand on the Irken's shoulders, asking what happened, and why he was so... mopey. Zim, not really feeling like fighting, simply told Dib he was tired and wished to sleep. Which was true, in a sense. He WAS tired, and after the shock of a death on his own team, who wouldn't be?

"If you're sure..." Dib finally conceded. He went back to the pile of blankets that made up his own bed. Lying down, he addressed Zim once more, "Ya know, everything happens for a reason. If something bad happened... then it wasn't without purpose. Remember that."

Zim was, to say the least, shocked on the Dib's insight, despite the fact that he had no idea what had happened. "Thanks... Dib."

And into slumber they both fell; one peaceful, the other not so much...

**...No comment. **


	6. The First Enocounter

**Disclaimer: IZ does not belong to me.**

"_Hello? Anyone here?"_

_The alien invader watched, frowning, Dib as he walked down the halls of the Massive. Why was he out all alone? A clenching feeling in Zim's gut told him just what would happen, though he chose to ignore it. **Please, please, let me be wrong... **he begged._

_A low growl brought the attention of both Zim and Dib to the ceiling. Two red, menacing eyes poked out from the darkness. Zim had to suppress the scream that Dib was aloud to create naturally. The creature stared at Dib, coiling around him, as if determining his taste. It then slithered around him, like a snake. All the while Dib stayed frozen, watching through frightened eyes. When it coiled completely around his body, their eyes interlocked._

_To both the Irken and human's surprise, it spoke. Well, not so much spoke, as it just thought at them,** You are not Irken. **It said- err, thought at Dib, though Zim could hear, too. Whether this was because the creature communicated with all around it, or because this was Zim's vision, he wasn't sure._

_Dib stared at it, trying to look less scared than he was, "That's right. I'm human. And you don't have a taste for humans, do you?"_

_**No,** The monster agreed, **But you have allied yourself with an Irken. For that, I must kill you. **Then, the monster bared it's ivory fangs and pounced. The last thing Zim heard was Dib's frightened, desperate screams of terror before everything became black..._

* * *

Two red eyes snapped open. Zim sat upward, his mind still hunted by the Dib's scream. Well, this dream wouldn't come true, Zim will make sure of it!

"Dib-Monkey? Wake up!" No response from the bundle of blankets on the other side of the room. Half-delusional from his dream, Zim threw off the covers of his bed, and walked over the pile of blankets that made up Dib's bed. Zim poked it, once again asking him to awaken. When he failed to respond, Zim threw back the blankets to find...

Nothing.

For a moment Zim just stood there, numb and partially in denial. This couldn't be happening; if Dib wasn't here, he was being attacked... somewhere. It occurred to Zim that he was so focused on the Dib-beast that he failed to see where they were. There was only one thing he could do now...

"GIR!"

The robot shot up with a salute, temporarily in obedience mood, where he actually listens to Zim. "Yes, my master."

"WHERE is the Dib-Thing?"

Gir turned blue, signifying he was back to normal. "He went to get a snack. He said he'd be back before you woke up. HE LIED TO ME!"

Zim didn't waste anymore time listening to Gir's outburst; he was out the door and on his way to the snack room.

* * *

"Dib? DIB!"

Zim cried the name of his nemesis frantically as he ran through the halls of the ship, looking through every corridor on his way to the snack hall. So far, no luck, and nobody had seen the human. A bad feeling settled in Zim's gut.

_**C'mon, c'mon, he's gotta be here somewhere!**_ Zim thought in panic as he continued to search. He wouldn't let another living being under his charge be hurt by that thing. The fact that it's intelligent enough to communicate, yet still attacks Irkens senselessly, served only to confuse Zim. What purpose did this being have eating his kinsmen?

He halted when a piercing scream echoed through the hallway.

_**SHOOT!**_ The alien ran as his antennae pinpointed the source of the sound. Silently giving thanks to whatever superior being whom gave Irkens advanced hearing, Zim headed southwards, ironically, in the opposite direction of the snack room. The only explanation for that was that Dib had gotten lost, the idiot. There were maps in every corridor.

When he finally arrived at the scene, Zim found Dib on the floor, only partially conscious, and the creature hovering menacingly above him. Luckily, it didn't seem as though he was bleeding, but he could still have broken bones. Zim inhaled sharply; then whistled.

Both Dib and the monster turned to Zim. Dib's eyes widened, and at first he smiled, then frowned, his expression becoming a plea to run. The beast, meanwhile, hissed and slithered over to Zim. The Irken froze.

This was the first time he'd seen the monster in person; and it was more terrifying then it seemed in his visions. The shadow loomed over him, preparing itself to feast, when Zim found his courage. He looked the monster directly in the eye, clenched his fists tightly, and announced:

"I'm not afraid of you."

The creature's eyes seemed to smile, as if the thought that an Irken wasn't afraid of it was amusing. Though he knew he couldn't fight the monster, Zim held his ground, staring it directly in the eyes. In truth, he wasn't afraid; he knew just what to expect, and was prepared. Then, it thought at him. _**Impressive. There's something... odd about you, Irken.**_

Zim held his gaze, stating, "The human is not your concern. He is my pet, and I shall dispose of him when I tire of him."

_**He does not belong to you. You cannot own another living being.**_

"Hypocrite. You kill Irkens at your leisure, then feast on their remains. How is that no different from my claim?"

_**A valid point. I kill Irkens because they deserve to die. They are nothing more than a plague on this universe.**_

"You kill Irkens, their prisoners, and their pets. The pets, at least, do not deserve it."

_**Perhaps... but he still shows loyalty to you.**_

This caught Zim by surprise. Dib? Loyal to him? A part of him wished to laugh at that notion, while another part remained hopeful to this truth. A third part wished for him to smack himself about the hopeful part.

The distraction was just was the Shadow was hoping for. With agility very rarely seen in the past, it pounced upon Zim, soaking up the sound of the Irken's screams. Zim panicked. He had been caught off guard, and was feeling stupid, and Dib would still die. He felt pain, physical and emotional. The creature made a sound akin to laughter. Zim closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable death.

He reopened them when he heard a sharp cry.

Looking up, he found Dib had tackled the monster, who was stunned and tossed to the ground. A smirk of victory crossed the investigator's lips; it was short-lived.

Once the creature recovered, it threw Dib back against the wall. Dib cried out in obvious pain, slumping to the ground. The Shadow loomed above him, it's crimson eyes ablaze with fury. It prepared, once again, to strike the now vulnerable human. Unfortunately, in it's rage, it forgot about Zim.

The Irken roared in fury, swiping at the being with his claws. The monster shrunk back, not expecting the blow. On the face, where Zim had struck, and on his own claw, was a violet blue substance that could only be blood. It roared, abandoning it's victims as it fled to deeper parts of the ship. Zim took a deep breath, then ran over to Dib.

Dib's eyes cracked open just as Zim reached him, much to the relief of the Irken. He helped Dib sit up as the human rubbed his forehead, groaning slightly, then turning back to the Irken. "How did you know?"

"Long story, Dib. I'll tell you when we get back to our room." Zim help Dib stand up, allowing said human to wrap his arm around Zim shoulders for support. Dib turned his gaze to the Irken; curiosity shining in his eyes.

"You didn't call me Dib-Monkey... or Dib-Stink... or-"

"Yes, yes, I didn't call you an annoying nickname. Don't get used to it... and, err, thanks."

"For what?" Zim flushed.

"Ya know... saving me..."

"You saved me earlier... and again about three minutes ago... and again just a few seconds ago..."

"I get it, Worm-baby!"

"Alright! Sheesh..."

**End Chapter.**


	7. Conferance

**Disclaimer: IZ does not belong to me.**

"Are you alright?"

Dib's question had broken the silence that had surrounded them since they had gotten back. Zim had, wordlessly, taken care of Dib's injuries, then laid in his bed for the rest of the time. The Invader immersed himself in thought. Just what was that creature? And why did it suggest Dib was loyal to him? Didn't it know they hated each other?

Zim forced himself to look back at Dib. Surprised to find actual concern in the Earth boy's eyes, he tried to remind himself that they were just on a truce. Still, that didn't explain why he saved Dib the first time...

"I'm fine, Dib-smell. Yourself?"

Dib looked back at him from the mess of blankets and pillows on the floor. "Yeah, I'm okay." Silence passed again. Neither really knew what to say to the other. Finally, Dib broke the pause. "What are we gonna do now?"

"WE?" Zim turned back to Dib. "There is no WE, Dirt-child. YOU are being sent back to Earth. I'll deal with this myself." To Zim's surprise, Dib shook his head.

"It's your fault I'm here Zim. And you're right, I should go home. But when that-that THING attacked me, I saw how it kills. Zim, it kills because it can! Even Irkens don't execute without reason... right?" Zim nodded in confirmation. "And the way it kills... is just horrible. Not even the Irkens deserve that."

The alien blinked in surprise. Dib wanted to help them? Why- oh wait. He was a hero, he helps people. Even if the people he was helping wanted his planet either destroyed or conquered, he still felt the need to save these beings. Zim, at that moment, found a new respect for Dib, assisting his enemy like this.

Dib gave a light smile, and Zim humored him by returning it. After all, what's the worst thing that could happen?

* * *

"Greetings everyone... Zim, again with your pet?"

Zim held protectively onto the make-shift leash for Dib. It had certainly been amusing trying to get it on him... but the Irken had succeeded in the end. Another victory for Zim! ...anyways, Dib had once again been allowed to attend the meeting with Zim, yet still hadn't seemed to impress the tallest.

The Invader looked to his leaders, a determined frown on his face. "Sirs, with all do respect, if Dib leaves, I leave." Dib flashed a smile at Zim, and the Irken had to stop himself from smiling back. After all, Dib was supposed to be a mere pet.

The tallest grumbled, but allowed Dib to stay. Red began the conversation, "Now recently one of our own has faced the creature... and lived!" A round of gasps came from around the table. Zim forced himself to gasp, and Dib was trying (in vain) to keep the smile off his face.

"Who is this magnificent warrior?"

"How did they survive?"

"Are you making this up?"

"We're about to tell you; I'm not sure; and no, we're not making this up." Purple answered in order, "Anymore questions?" Every hand went up, including Dib's. Zim smacked it down, "Any not stupid questions?" Zim tried (and failed) to hide his snicker when all but one of the Irkens put their hands down. Red and Purple sent questioning looks at the other one, who lowered his hand slowly, embarrassed.

"Now then, Zim, tell your story." A wave of gasps went around the room, and Zim rolled his eyes; could these guys get any dumber? No wonder they're so easily picked off. Zim picked himself up, walked to the front of the table, and yanked Dib's leash, as a signal for him to come along. The human was forced to comply.

Both tallest sent a glare to Zim that said, _**Really?**_

"My fellow Irkens," The small Invader began, "We have been living in fear. This creature believes it has power over us, and the sad thing is, it DOES. FEAR is the weapon it's been using against us, turning our own minds and bodies into little targets. When I-" Dib cleared his throat, "Fine. WE faced the monster, we had showed no fear to it, letting it know that it didn't control us!" Well, that part was true, but it probably wasn't what subdued the creature.

"Yeah right," commented a nearby Irken. "He's probably lying. I mean, imagine it; _**Zim **_taking on such a creature and living to tell the tale? Please." Zim scowled, fighting the urge to retaliate. As it turns out, he didn't need to. Dib did it for him.

"Well, he's better than the rest of you cowards!"

The Irken frowned at Dib, looking him over, then smirked at Zim. "Your pet's gotten a little too big for his leash. You should get him put down." Dib's angry expression melted, a more fearful one taking it's place. Zim narrowed his eyes angrily, before tackling the Irken. Both tallest rushed over, to pull them apart before they could cause anyone else damage. Dib just watched.

The fight ended when the Irken knocked Zim into a nearby wall. The Invader let out a mild screech when his head hit the metal walling. After that, it was pretty much a big blur. He could pick out Dib's voice, the tallest, the Irken who had insulted Dib, and multiple others. They became faint quickly, and his eyes shut. The alien let unconsciousness overwhelm him.

* * *

_**Foolish alien...**_

_Zim looked down the hallway. He could make out voices, some screams, and the image of an Irken fighting the monster. It took another moment for him to realize that Irken was him._

_His other self didn't say anything in response, just cried out and ran towards the creature, knocking him backwards with one blow. As the creature stumbled passed a red line, other Zim took something from his PAK and placed it carefully on the red line, pressing a button on the side. An invisible wall of light appeared, blocking the hallway. The shadow banged against it, trying to free itself from confinement, only to fail. Zim realized what the item was: A Vortian Energy Shield. THAT could contain the creature? Then this mission would be simpler than Zim thought._

_After imprisoning the creature, other Zim didn't say anything. He just walked over to a quivering bundle on the ground Zim had not noticed before. He watched in the usual silence as the other him picked up the bundle, carrying it away..._

_What had happened?_

* * *

"-We've already lost enough Irkens, we don't need fighting to take out the few we have left!"

"Ugh?"

Multiple eyes stared at Zim as he picked himself up, still wondering about his latest vision. It was the first one where he hadn't had any idea of what had happened. But he had learned one thing from it...

"My Tallest... is it possible to contain the creature with a Vortian Energy Shield?" The tallest Irkens in the room stared at him, before commanding a few scientist to find the energy fields. Everyone scrambled, leaving only Zim, the tallest, and Dib in the room.

Dib had been staring numbly at Zim from his place at the table. He walked over to the Irken once everyone else had left, inquiring as to how his enemy felt. Zim had told Dib he was fine, and demanded they go back to their room. Dib hadn't complained.

Irken and human made their way through the Massive's hallways. Dib was the one to break the silence, as always, "How do you know Vortian Energy Shields are gonna work?"

"That's a mouthful, they should call those V.E.S's. And for your information, it's just an educated guess. I have no way of knowing ." The look in Dib's eyes clearly said _**liar**_.

"Aw, come on! What, you don't trust me?" Dib asked. Zim informed him, with a slightly worn temper, that he had no reason to. Which spurred Dib to began listing off every reason the Irken had to trust him. Which frustrated Zim more and more until...

"For goodness sake, Dib! SHUT UP!"

Dib smirked, "What's wrong, Zim? Can't take the truth? Just tell me, and I'll stop bugging ya." Zim tried to resist the urge to strangle Dib then and there. The last thing he wanted, or needed was for that little worm to learn of his power. Who knows what he'd do with that knowledge?

"I can't tell you anything. Why should I? Your inferior human mind can't take the true glory that is the Irken mentality anyways."

Dib growled, provoked by the insult to humans. "Your race is no more superior than a rat is superior to a mouse!"

"Why you little pig-smellie!"

"Alien scum!"

"Big head!"

"MY HEAD'S NOT BIG!"

They continued on like this for the rest of the walk down to their room, insulting each other to the best of their childish ability. Once they reached the room, Zim pressed a button to the side of it, prepared to throw Dib's stuff in the incinerator, when he looked around and paused. The two boys stared with wide eyes and dropped mouths.

"Oh my gosh..."

**Yeah, cliffhanger. Hey, at least I'm posting, right? **


	8. Who Dunnit?

**Disclaimer: IZ does not belong to me.**

"Oh my gosh..."

The bedroom was torn up. The drawers were pulled out, the bedsheets were shredded, everything that was made of cloth was in pieces, and most of the metal objects were crushed beyond repair. The enemy duo stood at the doorway in complete awe at the ruins of what had been their shared room. A thought suddenly came to Zim.

"GIR!"

Dib's eyes were glued to the back of his head, but he didn't care. Zim tore into the room,searching through the ruins of everything on the floor. Nothing on the floor, nor in Dib's corner (which the human had been opposed to him searching through). It was when he had torn the (shredded) covers off his bed did he find the obnoxious robot. And when he did, his heart sank.

There was Gir, torn into pieces on the bed. Though most pieces seemed repairable, several more crucial parts had been damaged beyond hope of repair. In particular, the persona matrix that made Gir himself (itself?) was dented, chipped, and scratched up. Zim's eyes burned as he stared down at Gir's lifeless eyes, once blue with energy. No smile adorned his face. No insane laughter filled the room. The burning sensation in his eyes worsened, and he had to wipe at them.

Dib stared at him, eyes beholding something akin to pity. "Zim..."

"Come, Dib. We must inform the tallest of this heinous assault." The human agreed, partially because he had nowhere else to go.

* * *

"That's horrible!"

So tallest Purple remarked with outrage at the wrongdoing that had befallen Zim and Dib. Red growled, remarking about how none of them were safe, not even Zim. The smaller Irken, meanwhile, was standing at attention in front of them. His 'pet' was standing off to the side, scratching at his collar.

Zim was aware that Dib was staring at him with... concern? Pity? Whatever it was, Zim didn't acknowledge it. He merely stared on at his tallest. In one hand held Dib's leash, in the other Gir's head. Both tallest finally turned to him.

"Zim, we are sorry for your loss. We will get you those replacement parts now." An Irken repairman tried to take Gir's head from Zim, but the alien just held it tighter. Eventually he just gave up, stating that he'd guess Gir's measurements and come up with a part by tomorrow. The two were dismissed.

When they got to their new room, Zim thought of something. Turning to Dib, he instructed him to wait while he went somewhere. Dib, with not much else to do, just watched as Zim walked away, completely unaware of the fact that Zim locked the door behind him.

* * *

"...Dib?"

Said human lifted his head upwards, to see that Zim was approaching him. Not unusual, though. Zim was the only Irken who paid half a mind to Dib, while it also seemed Dib was the only one, human or Irken, to even remotely understand Zim. It shocked the human how out of place Zim was amongst his own people.

Zim walked into the room, himself looking slightly flustered. "I, uh, brought you something." And with that, he handed Dib a bottle of water. EARTH water. Dib stared at it, then looked at Zim, who smirked.

"I snuck away earlier. Now make sure to save some, because I don't know when we'll be on Earth next." Dib sipped the water, nodding as he did so. After being on the Massive for several days, he hadn't noticed how thirsty he had gotten. Too much excitement.

"So, when's the attack on the Shadow?" Dib asked.

Zim stared forward. Something unintelligible glinted in his eyes. "That's for the creature to decide, Dib. Not us." Zim turned to him, in hopes of changing the subject. "Do you have any idea who could've torn our room apart?" Dib shrugged.

"It could've been anyone, Zim."

"Yeah," Dib didn't miss that tone of defeat in Zim's voice. For some reason, it made him feel... well, bad. After all, Zim wasn't supposed to give in! Never!

"Human," Zim said suddenly. "Feel free to do whatever you want. I have some business to take care of."

Now for those who know Dib, you know he's curious. But he's also cunning. So, instead of inquiring about Zim's 'business', he just shrugged, "Whatever."

Zim eyed Dib for a moment, then left, watching Dib closely all the while. It amused the human to see Zim so paranoid, especially about him. But now really wasn't a time for amusement. Now, it was time to investigate.

And with those final thoughts, Dib left, anxious to find the one who destroyed his and Zim's stuff.

* * *

"And in three to four days, your SIR unit will be completely operational."

Zim nodded, taking Gir's head back. The moment it was in his arms, he clutched it close to his chest, refusing to let anyone take it from him. After discovering Gir in this condition, Zim would be wary of who he trusted. Anyone could have snuck into the room and done this. Zim mused all this as he pet Gir's head, as if he was still there. With a sigh, he let his eyes shut...

_Dib let out a cry of pain as he was knocked backwards. His large head hit the wall behind him. Once he hit it, he slid down it and onto the floor below him._

Irken eyes snapped open. Of course he couldn't trust Dib alone for a moment. Watching him was somewhere between keeping a pet (or Gir) and having a job. The Invader's feet hit the floor in a constant movement, rushing forward. To be truthful, he had no idea where he was going, just had to run. Eventually, his advanced Irken hearing (did I mention it was advanced?) picked up the sound of fighting. Zim skidded to a stop, changing direction and heading down the hallway.

When he reached the other side, his squeedily spooch stopped from the shear shock.

There was Dib, on the same Irken he himself had fought earlier's back. The two were engaged in some sort of incredible battle, though most of it Zim had missed. He made his way through the annoying crowd, whom had gathered to watch the fight, reaching the front just as Dib crashed into the wall. He let out a cry that combined pain and surprise, sliding off the wall and onto the floor. Just another piece of proof for Zim's power.

The Irken huffed, pushing the opponent of his 'pet' down. "That's ENOUGH." Zim stared down at him, "Now, what is going on here?" The response came not from the downed Irken, but the injured human.

"Zim! He's the one who tore our room apart! He did it after the meeting!" The Invader's eyes widened, then narrowed. Of course. Dib doesn't pick fights for no reason. His lekku flattened in anger. A gaze that could kill (or belong to Gaz) was plastered on his face.

"So," He began. "It was you. YOU ruined our stuff. YOU tore apart our room. YOU destroyed Gir." Zim forced himself to keep calm. "I ought to kill you right here and now. But... why?"

The opposing Irken growled at them from his spot on the floor. "BECAUSE! You can't lead a dying meekrob to a medical base, let alone lead us against that thing! I thought if you felt threatened, you'd go away. Plus, it was kinda fun seeing your SIR unit-" He didn't get the chance to finish his sentence; Zim had punched him in the face, resulting in him falling to the ground. The opposing Irken grasped at the nose he didn't have, while Zim picked Dib up off the floor and rushed him to their new room. Best to get out of there before the tallest get there.

"What is it with you and saving me?" Dib asked when they finally slowed down their pace. His Irken foe (or ex-foe) shrugged. The two entered their room, both lying in their respective sleeping areas (Dib on a pile of blankets and pillows in a nearby corner, Zim on a bed).

"Sleep tight, Dib-Stink. Tomorrow we're getting rid of that oversized pest for good."

"Alright. Hey, Zim... Zim?"

"ZZZ..."

Dib sighed. "Goodnight, Zim."

**...Not very good. But the next chapter will be better, I promise. Also, about the water bit... HUMAN'S NEED WATER TO FUNCTION! So how is it that Dib manages to survive in space for months- no, years in space without it?**

**By the way, we're drawing to a close.**


	9. We Failed Again

**Disclaimer: IZ does not belong to me.**

"Today is the day..."

The Irken invaders on the Massive were all gathered in the large conference hall. It was Tallest Purple who made this announcement, getting the attention of his kinsmen. Everyone watched in anticipation and curiosity as the tallest held his arm high above his head, then lowered it suddenly.

"...We finally defeat that evil monstrosity!"

Cheers roared through the hall. Both tallest stood neck and neck, watching their people rejoice the eventual destruction of one who had murdered so many. The last time so many people had gathered and were cheering this loudly was during one of Zim's broadcasts.

This particular Irken sat on the stage of the tallest, his human right up next to them. Both watched the procession with mild to no interest; both had their mind's preoccupied. The object of their thoughts was the very creature they were going to battle. Zim in particular was wondering about his vision. According to it, they succeeded, but... the vision Zim didn't seem too caring about the victory, or about the creature he had trapped. Instead, he had seemed more interested in that bundle. Zim had an inkling on what that was, but decided to see how this would play out.

All of a sudden, himself and the Dib (whom he had been against bringing in the first place) were being handed weapons and thrown out into the ships hallways. With the creature. Alone. With the door sealed behind them. If Zim had a stomach, it would be churning right about now.

A growl brought the Irken and human's attention to the area right behind them. Having both heard that sound before, neither turned around; the sound of the Shadow was something you don't forget. Instead, they just started running. The plan was to lure the creature to a rarely used area near the back of the Massive. There they would trap it for several weeks, until it died of starvation. Then, they would clear out the corpse, and everything would go back to normal. Whatever normal is for these idiots, anyway. But first, they had to outrun it.

Running was something both were good at. Dib had practice running away from Zim, and Zim was trained to outrun creatures like Dib (though he never did catch him...), so both were faster than one would expect of them. That wasn't the issue; endurance was. Zim could run at this speed for several hours and not get tired. Dib was another case. He couldn't last for long at speeds like this. Meaning at some point, he was going to have to rest. With not only jeopardized the mission, but his life. Hopefully, Zim would be able to carry him should it come to that.

_**You cannot run from me,**_ the creature warned in it's mental voice. **_I know your thoughts, your moves, your feelings... your dreams._** The thought-message made Zim shiver, though he didn't exactly know why. It was just creepy having something reach into your mind. Knowing everything... even the things he didn't know!

Both alien and human made a sharp turn, rushing down a hallway, the creature following them with ease. Was it aware they weren't trying to lose it? Zim was suddenly apprehensive, not sure of the coming dangers to himself, to Dib... to all of Irken kind.

And then they came to the section.

This area of the Massive was mainly used for storage. But since they had nothing of importance to store, it was currently empty. Sometimes they kept larger prizes in there until they could unload them back on Irk or some other planet, but they had other ships for that (after all, the Massive was the head ship of the Irken fleet. They couldn't waste time transporting things).

Zim turned around suddenly, letting the human know that they'd finally reached their destination. Both skidded to a stop, sliding around in battle poses. This was the point of no return; the final stand. If they failed, the Massive was doomed... just like in Zim's first vision on the Massive. But he wouldn't think about. He had two goals here: lure the Shadow into the area designated for it and seal it with the VES, and make sure it didn't scratch up Dib too bad. The human was by no means a bad fighter, but the Shadow creature was something far beyond his capabilities. It would have helped if Dib wasn't a smeet, too.

The Shadow creature roared, launching itself forward to attack it's intended prey. If it was aware of the set trap, it gave no indication. Both human and Irken took turns calling it to them to fight; when one was visibly tired, the other would taunt it. They would keep this up until the creature hadn't the strength to fight, then seal it with the shield.

When Zim took a rather harsh blow to the arm, Dib interfered, calling the monstrosity to him. "Hey, bug brain! C'mon, that all you got?" The creature, for some odd reason, did not seem to see past them. Instead, it broke away from it's current opponent and screeched loudly, causing Zim to cover his antennae with his claws. Without missing a beat, Shadow creature launched itself at Dib, who knocked it backwards with a make-shift staff made of piping. It hissed, attacking again; Dib continued defending himself with the pipe, occasionally glancing at the recovering Irken. When it had struck Zim's arm, it had also caused a burning liquid to seep through, and Zim was currently trying to quell this pain.

A metal pipe let off a screech as the Shadow broke it off, ready to toss it at it's human opponent. Dib dodged with the grace of an experienced fighter (which he was), but stopped short at the sound of an Irken scream. The pipe had flown past Dib and nearly hit Zim; who luckily had dodged at the last moment. However, his partner in fighting didn't know this, and believed Zim was truly hit long enough for the Shadow to catch him off-guard, picking him up with his 'tail' (which made up his entire body, much like a snake), and tossed him, without mercy, into the metal walling of the Massive. A horrid screech filled the air; the Irken had to once again cover his sensitive lekku.

But after that, he was up on his feet, rushing towards the attacker with a speed he didn't know he had. The Irken knew hand-to-hand combat, as well as the use of a short-range weapon, but still found long-range weapons more effective... mostly. In this case, it seemed only short-range attacks had any effect. In memory of his last attack of the creature, he struck it's face; the blow reopened the healing scars from where Zim scratched him last time. In fury, the creature tried to attack Zim, but Dib's body was in the way. So, it did what it saw as sensible; it threw Dib across the room, breaking his vulnerable human body even more.

For a moment, Zim just stared, numb. Then, with a cry he could have sworn he'd heard before, the Irken charged at the Shadow beast. One blow with his sharp claws was all it took to knock the beast across the chosen cut off spot for the monster. With a swift movement, he placed and activated the VES and trapped Shadow creature. A red button on the side activated the thing within a second, preventing the struggling creature from escaping. However, these things didn't concern Zim.

The human did, though.

With a last glance at the creature that had been messing with the masses and trying to destroy his people, Zim picked up the human (who was shaking from shock and pain) and ran off. The medical bay wasn't far from here anyways...

* * *

"It's not working!"

Two Irken claws pounded the wall in frustration. Zim, frustrated, snapped at his tallest (something that would have been death penalty had the situation been different) to be quiet; the Dib needed his rest. Purple waved the 'suggestion' off, choosing instead to writhe in contained fury. Red was equally frustrated, but just put on a haggard face and tried to deal with it.

The VEM was not as effective as they had thought. With every blow, it came closer and closer to breaking, once again releasing the threat. Of course, no one but the Tallest, Zim, and Dib (if he had overheard in his unconscious state) knew this; everyone believed themselves to be monster free. And the fact that Red and Purple were blaming Zim wasn't making things any better.

"My Tallest-"

"Don't 'My Tallest' us, Zim!" Red growled. "You said the creature would be contained in a Vortian Energy Shield-"

Zim interrupted (and how many death penalties does he have now?). "You know, we really should start calling those things VESSes." Both tallest confirmed this; VES was indeed much easier to say then Vortian Energy Shield. "And second, I never said it would be contained _**permanently**_."

"Well now Zim, it's your problem. Either deal with it, or jump out the air lock. Either way, you're dead." And with those oh so cheerful words of encouragement, both Tallest left Zim behind, who just sighed, lying back in his chair next to the human's hospital bed. Slowly, his eyes dropped close, as the obvious exhaustion reared it's ugly head, once more taking Zim to the land of nightmares.

* * *

_Watching one fight wasn't the most strange thing in the world; one watching themselves fighting another being, however, is a totally different story. Zim watched, in no small interest, himself battle with the Shadow creature, just past where the energy shield is. Zim would growl, sometimes thinking things at it, and it would always counter right as Zim would attack, as if it knew his every thoughts (which it might, considering it's a telepathic creature)._

_Both were fighting with a revenue Zim hadn't seen in a long time. While he couldn't say why the creature kept going, he knew what was going through his own head: vengeance and fury at the strange creature. The Shadow stalked the ground in front of Zim, both circling in a corner looking for weak spots in the others' defenses._

_Zim had never seen a battle so fierce. Not even between the Dib-human and Himself._

_And it all went crashing at once. The creature's fangs came down, piercing Zim in the gut. (Vision) Zim screamed, as is natural reaction, as his squeedly spooch was torn through, while the other Zim (the real one, folks), watched with a sick sense of dread. His doppelganger keeled over, then unceremoniously fell onto his side. The crimson eyes widened at the sight of himself, falling onto the floor, his eyes glazed over._

_Looking up at the creature who did this to him, the doppelganger Zim smirked, stabbing his opponent's gut area, causing it to fall to the ground as well. Both began coughing up blood candies, neither strong enough to recover without help..._

* * *

The Irken's eyes snapped open once again, only this time, something was different. That feeling of foreboding, the fate that awaited him... it was all laid out in front of hi, like a tarot card, and only he could determine what each card represented in this life. The queen of hearts, the black ace, and the two of spades. To Zim, that meant...

Zim would face the Shadow once more. Alone. And neither would leave that fight alive.

**Okay, so I'm nobodies favorite right now. But just read the next few chapters, you'll understand. Just trust me...**


	10. Pointless Filler

**Disclaimer: IZ does not belong to me.**

"Good morrow, Dib-Beast"

Zim gave a sad smile at the human resting in the hospital bed. He walked into the room after a whole night of tossing and turning. No, not from a new nightmare. From the one that said he'd die. But he had already accepted it. His vision was going to come true today, and there was nothing he could do about it. He had already written it into a 'will' (one of the few good human ideas) that Dib would get all his Irken tech, including Gir. Hopefully, he and Gaz could keep him under control.

Sliding a seat next to the bed, Zim took a deep breath, preparing to tell the unconscious human what he had rehearsed throughout the restless night. "Dib," He began.

"First off, let me apologize. This is my fault; you shouldn't even had been involved in this mess. I mean, sure, you stalk me. And torture me. And tried to dump water on my head. Point being, though we couldn't stand each other, I don't wanna see you die like this. No, I'd rather see you fall at the hands of one of my own inventions, not at the claws of an Irken eater.

"Next, I'd like to tell you something you had wanted to know from the beginning: How I knew all that stuff I hadn't even been told. Well Dib, truth is... I saw it. No, really, I did. Every time I had nodded off in the past... eh, it's probably been about two Earth weeks. Well, point being, I see the future... in my sleep. Wow, that does sound stupid. And before you say, 'that's not possible', look at your own beliefs, and tell me which is more likely to be real. By the way, I borrowed that raincoat because I had seen your water plan in one of my dreams.

"Which leads me to my third subject. Dib... I'm gonna die. That Shadow is going to kill me today. Surprise! ...on the bright side, I'm gonna kill it, too. When I die, I want you to take care of Gir for me. I also want you to have my base, too. A nice escape from your family, a demon and a 'REAL!' scientist. Yeah, nice family. No wonder you're crazy... anyways, I guess I'm gonna go die now. Goodbye, stinkbeast. I'll never see you again."

And with that, Zim got off the chair, and came to Dib's bedside. Throughout the entire speech, he hadn't spoken a word, hadn't given any proof that he had been listening (or conscious). Whatever the case may be, Zim went up to the Earth boy's bedside, stroked the side of his face, and gently pecked the boy's cheek. After this, he silently slipped Gir's head into the boy's grip. With a sad, lasting gaze, he left the Earth child, prepared to meet certain doom by way of the Shadow...

* * *

"Swords?"

"Check"

"Baton?"

"Check"

"Staff?"

"Check already, let's get this over with!"

The Irken in charge of outfitting Zim recoiled, used to being hit after a retort like that. He relaxed when Zim didn't hit him, but still looked apprehensive. The Invader dismissed his fellow Irken; just after this the almighty tallest showed up, perhaps just anxious to watch him die.

"Greetings, Zim!" Tallest Purple was unusually cheerful this morning. Again, Zim's untimely death was probably the cause. Both tallest seemed in good spirits, and Zim wasn't in the mood to pretend it was about the creature he was being forced to kill dying. Instead, he grumbled his greetings and continued packing useless junk that wouldn't save him in the end. He'd already given up.

Zim's mind went back to the moments he had spent with Dib on the Massive. Those had been the closest moments he'd had to Dib... ever. Except maybe the hug thing with Keef. Well, now that wouldn't matter. He'd go back to Earth, use Zim's alien tech to prove the existence of aliens, and live out his perfect future. Zim would be a footnote in an Irken textbook.

Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Zim reminded himself of his other vision, what would happen if they didn't kill this thing. With a heavy heart, sunken spirit, and broken will, Zim informed the tallest that he was ready to fight.

His eyes closed for the briefest moment, and that familiar feeling took hold.

_Gir's head, lifeless and useless, dropped to the floor. It clanged against the alien material and bounced a few times, before rolling and finally coming to a rest on the ground below it._

Zim pried his eyes open, revealing his Tallest walking along side him. Probably to see him off for the last time. He hadn't told him about that vision, but they were probably aware that Zim wouldn't be walking away from this fight.

The VES deactivated for the briefest amount of time, long enough for Zim to cross through it. As soon as he reached the other side, it went back up. The tunnels' called to him, their dark and foreboding adding a ominous essence to it. The dark, chilling echo of a roar only made this better.

Zim took a deep breath, and marched forward...

**...Pointless. Or was this chapter? I fully admit this was a filler, but there was one important thing that happened. Or was there?**


	11. For Once, We Do Something Right!

**Disclaimer: IZ does not belong to me.**

"I know you're here."

The words, an empty threat, echoed down the hallways of the storage section of the Massive. The little Irken whom created this echo walked calmly through, despite the risk of being attacked from any direction. Ruby eyes scanned the dark, empty halls, checking for any signs of his opponent. Each step, each clank of the protective fabric against metal, was made as if he was walking the hallways of the Skool; with determination and confidence. He had to be, because the alternative -fear- terrified him more than the monster. He didn't want to die with fear.

Silence reigned, even though Zim knew the monster was stalking him in the shadows; it was it's very nature to do so. He didn't turn around, didn't stop, just gripped the weapon -a staff made of metal- in his palms tighter. The creature could read his mind. So long as it had that advantage, the Irken couldn't face it fairly. So as long as he didn't focus on the mission, the being couldn't use that. Instead, he focused on the human recovering from their last attempt to bring this thing down. _**Take care of Gir, Dib**_.

It was a slight movement of the air that alerted Zim; he turned around suddenly, blocking the monster's attack with his staff. It struck down with it's bare fangs, actually closing it's mouth around the Irken's weapon, before Zim knocked it backwards with a swing. Both aliens stared at each other, one's eyes burning with rage, the other with curiosity.

_**You came to kill me... why? **_

"You almost killed Dib," Zim stated bluntly. Though his voice was calm, his wild red eyes betrayed his true emotions; rage and hatred. The creature seemed to nod, as though agreeing with Zim. _**And you decided to get revenge. How typical of an Irken.**_

"You're one to talk."

_**Do you think you can beat me?**_

"No. I _know_ I can. There's a difference, you know."

The Shadow hissed, through with talking, and once again pounced. This time, instead of waiting until it almost bit through his staff, he deflected the blow behind him. Shadow hissed again as it slithered up to him at speeds no human could see. Luckily, he didn't to see; his Irken lekku were able to detect the movement, allowing him to dodge just as the tail slammed down into the floor, leaving an indent in the metal flooring. For a brief moment, Zim wasted his time wondering if he was gonna get in trouble for that.

The creature again leapt at Zim, fangs bared. This time, Zim spun the staff at speeds only an experienced expert could reach. The spinning managed to repel the creature, but Zim could tell this battle was going to go in circles unless he took the offensive. He charged at the Shadow, recovering from the failed attack, and swung at it's head. The Shadow was in the air long before Zim had finished the attack, coming back down and knocking Zim over with it's tail, which as it turns out, is pretty hard. The sheer shock of the blow tossed him into the wall.

Zim recovered quickly; picking himself up, he charged again at the creature, aiming this attack at it's middle. Once again, the attack was repelled. The process repeated itself again and again, until the Shadow got tired of waiting for one of them to screw up and sliced the ceiling, forcing compressed air into Zim's face. Zim staggered back, dropping his weapon in the process, and tried to focus through the steamy air and his own coughing fit.

Shadow attacked from directly above; it came down, bringing it's tail down on top of his head. The worst possible thing that could have happened at that moment. The blow caused Zim to stagger back, and slip over something: his own staff. How ironic, Zim thought dryly as he crashed down to the floor. Then he remembered, and closed his eyes, waiting for the impact...

It never came.

With a great amount of effort on his part, Zim cracked open his eyes. What he saw shocked him into opening both eyes as wide as they could go. Dib -the same Dib that had been comatose earlier that day- was in front of him, using one of the swords he -Zim- had packed to help defeat the monstrosity they called Shadow. Two emotions -confusion and surprise- numbed out anything else the Irken would have felt about this.

Dib looked back at him. "Are you an idiot? Get up!" Zim didn't speak, too stunned to really do anything but obey. Once he was up, he spotted his staff immediately and snatched it. Survival and battle instincts kicked in, taking place of rational thought. He swept by Dib, who was holding off a blow with his sword, and sliced at the creature. The direct hit knocked it backwards, allowing Dib enough time to stab it in the gut. It gave out something like a pained shriek, but neither could be sure. I mean, this is a monster they're dealing with.

It lunged, straight at Dib (whom it saw to be the weaker target), but was stopped when our favorite Irken grabbed it's tail. The three fingered claws dug into the skin, which was very Irken like in feeling. He threw it into the wall, not caring about ruining it. The wall caved in, the Shadow crashing through to the storage chamber behind it. Both human and Irken walked up to it, battle adrenaline still high in their systems. The creature gave off a sound that seemed like a chuckle.

_**Imagine it... a mighty being, defeated by a child and a defect. How about that?**_

And two both short beings' surprise, the creature dissipated, as though it had never existed in the first place.

* * *

"You saved me."

Dib looked to the Irken, who was hobbling next to him, using the human as a placebo cane. "Yeah. I was repaying a debt."

Zim still wasn't convinced though. "How'd you know I was in trouble?"

"That, was the strange part. I had this weird dream. You told me you could see the future, and you saw your death, and -get this- you _**kissed **_me. I mean, not tongue and body contact making out, just a peck on the cheek, but still." Dib had an interesting expression; a mixture of amusement, disgust, and interest. "Well, I woke up, and found Gir's head in my hands, I thought, 'What if it wasn't just a dream?', so I snuck away from those nurses -evil things, by the way- and followed you to the battle."

"..." Zim stared, a million thoughts running through his head, and not one being heard.

"SO... can you?"

"Can I what?"

"See the future."

"Yes." Bewildered eyes met his own pained ones, and he explained, "I did visit you and explained everything. That would explain the dream." He conveniently left out the fact that everything in that dream had happened.

"Oh." The two were silent for sometime. Then, Zim broke it.

"Why... didn't I die? I hadn't been wrong before," The two foes turned friends stopped, Dib staring Zim right in the eyes. The scarlet, inhumane eyes met the strangely comforting black eyes of the Dib.

"Because Zim... your powers are warnings, not prophecies. Nothing you've seen is set in stone..."

* * *

"Oh... your back."

"Yep!" Zim was smirking with pride. "Turns out I've got a very good back up system." While saying this, he glanced at Dib, who blushed slightly at the mention. Then, to the Irkens in the repair department, he called loudly, "IS MY SIR UNIT DONE YET?" Another Irken called back that it was almost done, and that they needed another hour. Zim turned to Dib.

"We'll be spending the night here. Do you mind?"

"Not really."

"Okay, then," He turned back to the tallest, demanding a bunch of foods (which Dib observed were all human friendly), and for other stuff (movies, more comfortable pillows, etc.). Both Zim and Dib were escorted to their room (which wasn't needed, but they didn't refuse), and relaxed when Dib finally got the courage to ask what Zim was planning. Zim gave him the biggest (real) grin he'd ever seen from the alien.

"What? Haven't you ever been to a sleepover before?"

**Last chapter. NOT the last post. Epilogue up next. So...tired...**


	12. Dreamcatching

**Disclaimer: IZ does not belong to me.**

**Huh... the last chapter was the only one without a dream. Weird.**

"_ZIM! C'mon Zim, open up!"_

_The Dib knocked frantically on the door. Zim chuckled, watching the human wonder what he'd done wrong as he tried to get Zim to let him in. Eventually, the Irken got tired of watching the human try to enter through sheer willpower and fists against metal, so he activated the trapdoor underneath the welcome mat. Screams of terror filled the base, and eventually Dib landed on a large pile of pillows, each with his name stitched on them. With a groan, he looked up._

"_Ya know," he pointed out, "You didn't have to scare me half to death."_

_The Irken chuckled at his friend, knowing exactly what was going through his fragile human mind. "Of course I didn't. I wanted to." He could've died laughing at the pout on Dib's face._

"_But today?"_

_A smirk began to form, but it was repressed by it's creator. He hadn't forgotten; how could he, with Gir and his own conscious reminding him every five minutes. Still, it seemed just more natural to tease Dib with this. "Why? Something happening today?" Zim was more than a little pleased to see the disappointed frown on Dib's face._

"_You don't remember?" Dib asked, not hiding how hurt he was. The sound made Zim flinch; he hadn't meant to hurt the human boy. Just tease him for a little bit, then apologize and say, "Gotcha!". But whenever he seemed to come up with a good prank to pull, the stupid human idiot seemed to make Zim too guilt-ridden to play it._

_Still, he actually fell for this? "Dib-Stink, are you stupid?" His ruby eyes narrowed. "Do you really think I'd forget what today, of all days, is? I've been working on this for weeks!" With that, he threw a package at Dib. The human caught it; then, after a moment, set it down. He instead waltzed over to the alien and hugged him close; apologetically. Despite himself, Zim smiled._

"_Happy anniversary, Zim."_

"_Happy anniversary, Dib-beast." _

_Dib finally let go. He picked up the package that had been custom made especially for him -as all of Zim's gifts were- and tore off it's wrapping. Before him, to his pleasant surprise, was a hand-drawn, framed picture of himself and his family when they were happy. "Zim... how did you-?"_

"_You wanted a memento of your family. I overheard. I know."_

"_But I never-" Once again, he was cut off by his alien boyfriend._

"_Yes, you did. Well, not aloud." The Irken cryptically tapped the temple of his head. Dib rolled his eyes and smacked his forehead. How could he have forgotten that? Never had he felt so stupid. "You're not stupid."_

"_Man. Why do I keep forgetting about that?" He didn't complain, though, when Zim once again embraced him, this time pressing his lips gently to the human teen's._

_Then Zim remembered something. He gently pried himself from Dib's firm grasp, and walked over to a corner of his lab._

_There, a younger, invisible Irken was watching with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. His older counterpart chuckled, apparently amused. Which confused the younger Irken. What was so funny? Could he see him? The older Irken walked back over to Dib, hugging him tightly._

_With one arm still around his human, Zim turned around. He smirked, and asked, "Do you like what you see here?" This earned him a surprised look from the Irken, and a questioning look from Dib. The Irken didn't have time to process it as he was pulled back into reality..._

* * *

"Zim? Zim!"

Said Irken awoke with a start. Dib, with a confused and concerned expression, was leaning over him. The alien invader had half a mind to push him off. But he didn't, because he was just that kind. Instead, he inquired as to what Dib wanted.

Dib didn't hesitate to reply. "You were tossing and turning in your sleep. Another nightmare?" The last part was added with an undertone of panic, and it wouldn't take a genius to figure out why. The first set of visions had almost gotten the pair of them killed by a monster.

Still, Zim smiled lightly. Cryptically, he said, "Nah. In fact, this is one dream I wouldn't mind coming true." And then, without addressing the confused/curious look on Dib's face or the knowing one on the newly activated Gir's, Zim fell back into peaceful slumber.

Nothing was set in stone. That didn't mean he couldn't make it happen if he wanted to.

**The end.**


End file.
